Firm will present economic development plan to New Bern aldermen

By Eddie Fitzgerald, Sun Journal Staff

Published: Friday, November 15, 2013 at 05:56 PM.

At the vacant .45 acre property at 304-305 S. Front St., RKG Associates recommends mixed-use development of a building with commercial uses on the ground floor for offices and retail space with upper story residential uses.

Three projects received fair market viability — a gateway grocery store on Broad Street, the sale of the city’s Dunn Building at Craven and Pollock streets, and the city partnering with the county and developers of Craven Thirty, according to the study.

The gateway grocery store proposed for Broad Street would sell healthy food as a priority and be part of a mixed-use development of retail and community space along Broad Street to First Street. The study shows a grocery store would be favorable in the area because of the competitive location and it has community support. But there has to be more favorable data to attract such a market, the study says.

“However, we have spoken with several supermarket Realtors, and there is an interest in the New Bern market,” the study says. “We believe that the city’s effort to attract a store is reasonable and can be effective, but there should be a better data package to support the effort.”

The four-story, 11,500-square-foot Dunn Building has potential for retail on its ground level and office and corporate uses for its upper floors, the study says.

Although the city has little financial connection to Craven Thirty, RKG Associates recommends that the city define and prioritize its economic development objectives of job creation, tax base, quality of life and variety of retail, for the planned mega retail and housing project at the junction of N.C. 43 at U.S. 70.

Other areas the 33-page economic development report looks at include gateway entry features to New Bern, a Main Street Program to manage the growth of downtown, streetscape improvements along the gateway corridors, the proposed African American Heritage Museum, a possible business incubator at the Kale Road building near Coastal Carolina Regional Airport, and U.S. 70 land use controls in the James City area.

An economic development plan for New Bern that has been in the works since June will be presented to aldermen Tuesday evening.

The Board of Aldermen work session begins at 6 p.m. in City Hall.

Kyle Talente, vice president and principal of RKG Associates, will present the economic development strategic project plan that cost the city $15,575 and outlines specific economic development projects the city is considering.

The economic strategy focuses on ways to enhance the city’s Renaissance Gateway Plan by “strategic leveraging of public assets” like the old Days Inn Hotel at the corner of Queen and Broad streets and providing mixed housing and infill development, which is construction on underutilized or vacant property, where Third Avenue between Broad and Cedar streets offers the best opportunities.

The study suggests the city redevelop lots it cleared on the west side of Third Avenue into a mix of affordable, workforce and market-rate townhomes. There are already plans to establish a pedestrian greenway along Third Avenue from Stanley White Recreation Center to Broad Street that will benefit the area. Housing on Third Avenue has high market viability, the study shows.

Two of the 15 proposed projects RKG Associates looked at were seen as having “very high market viability.” They were Wi-Fi service in the downtown area and development of 304-305 S. Front St. across from the Doubletree by Hilton.

Providing Wi-Fi downtown is something the city is considering and Alderman Sabrina Bengel mentioned during her mayoral campaign as a way of attracting younger people to the area. It would also assist local businesses in marketing, improving productivity and increasing foot traffic downtown, the study shows.

At the vacant .45 acre property at 304-305 S. Front St., RKG Associates recommends mixed-use development of a building with commercial uses on the ground floor for offices and retail space with upper story residential uses.

Three projects received fair market viability — a gateway grocery store on Broad Street, the sale of the city’s Dunn Building at Craven and Pollock streets, and the city partnering with the county and developers of Craven Thirty, according to the study.

The gateway grocery store proposed for Broad Street would sell healthy food as a priority and be part of a mixed-use development of retail and community space along Broad Street to First Street. The study shows a grocery store would be favorable in the area because of the competitive location and it has community support. But there has to be more favorable data to attract such a market, the study says.

“However, we have spoken with several supermarket Realtors, and there is an interest in the New Bern market,” the study says. “We believe that the city’s effort to attract a store is reasonable and can be effective, but there should be a better data package to support the effort.”

The four-story, 11,500-square-foot Dunn Building has potential for retail on its ground level and office and corporate uses for its upper floors, the study says.

Although the city has little financial connection to Craven Thirty, RKG Associates recommends that the city define and prioritize its economic development objectives of job creation, tax base, quality of life and variety of retail, for the planned mega retail and housing project at the junction of N.C. 43 at U.S. 70.

Other areas the 33-page economic development report looks at include gateway entry features to New Bern, a Main Street Program to manage the growth of downtown, streetscape improvements along the gateway corridors, the proposed African American Heritage Museum, a possible business incubator at the Kale Road building near Coastal Carolina Regional Airport, and U.S. 70 land use controls in the James City area.

The city’s vision of economic development has been refined over the past 15 years, from plans that include nine since 2000 with the Swiss Bear Five Points Project, up to the Renaissance Gateway Plan starting in January.

Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at eddie.fitzgerald@newbernsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @staffwriter3.